DUHOK, Kurdistan Region - Thousands of gulls flock to Duhok’s landfills, feeding off the waste.
Seagulls nest in large, dense and noisy colonies.
"They arrive at the beginning of winter and begin to leave when the season ends. They eat meat, fish or food [left] from restaurants. They manage to survive on it," Ihsan Haji, a truck operator, told Rudaw.
Gulls migrate in winter from the Mosul Dam due to food scarcity.
Amin Abdo is a wildlife management specialist. He said there are two main reasons behind the migration of the seagulls.
"They can't live in places where the weather is unbearable. For example, if a place is freezing they will seek a warmer one. They also look for good-quality food. They have a positive impact on the environment because they save people from the pollution caused by the garbage," he said.
There are 50 types of gulls worldwide, ten of which are found in Iraq, including five species in Kurdistan Region.
